ProfNet Experts Available on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Cyber Breaches, More

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.

You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network – it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform.

EXPERT ALERTS

How E-Commerce Businesses Can Protect Themselves From Cyber Breaches

Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Holiday Retail Trends and Issues

Holiday Spending: How to Better Budget and Plan to Avoid Debt

Benefits Communication

MEDIA JOBS

Senior Reporter – Law360

Reporter – Citywire Americas

Senior Data Reporter – TheStreet, Inc.

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

Speaking on a Panel: Best Practices From the Pros

Career Crossroads: BlogHer Co-founder on Shattering That Online Glass Ceiling

10 Top News Sites That Rock Their Music and Entertainment Coverage

-------------------------------------------------------------------

EXPERT ALERTS:

How E-Commerce Businesses Can Protect Themselves From Cyber BreachesNeill FeatherPresidentSiteLock"Over 760,000 websites are breached each year, and it is estimated that 60 percent of small businesses fold within six months of a breach. Consumers are seeking assurances from the brands where they shop and expect them to do everything in their power to secure the websites themselves and, in turn, protect customer data. During the profitable holiday shopping season, it is imperative for online retailers to demonstrate that they are doing so."Feather is available to provide tips for how e-commerce businesses can protect themselves. He can also discuss findings from a new SiteLock survey about cybercrime and online holiday shopping, including: 60 percent of consumers abandon e-commerce retailers after a cybercrime occurrence; e-commerce sites are 1.5 times more likely to be compromised than a website that does not sell anything online; one in five consumers will avoid online holiday shopping this season; Millennials are the most concerned consumers. Survey: http://prn.to/2g1Ps1BProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/sitelockWebsite: http://www.sitelock.comContact: Sara Faxon, sfaxon@peppercomm.com

Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Holiday Retail Trends and IssuesNoelle NelsonAssistant Professor of Marketing and Consumer BehaviorUniversity of Kansas School of BusinessNelson can discuss trends and issues surrounding Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the holiday retail period: "This year, we're seeing not just that some stores are choosing to close on Thanksgiving but also a continued 'Black Friday Creep.' While it might have seemed -- based on 2015 -- that the pendulum was swinging back toward more limited shopping hours in general, now it seems that some stores are clearly still competing heavily on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. If anything, the new 'trend' is that certain categories of stores are continuing the intense Black Friday marketing, while other categories are moving away from that."Nelson is the co-author of several articles and working papers on consumer behavior and marketing issues.Contact: George Diepenbrock, gdiepenbrock@ku.edu

Holiday Spending: How to Better Budget and Plan to Avoid DebtRod GriffinDirector of Public EducationExperianExperian recently released its holiday spending survey results for 2016, and Griffin can discuss these results, as well as what is putting consumers into debt this holiday season -- and how to better budget and plan for next year: "What consumers don't realize is that after the merriment of the holidays, they won't be having such a happy new year, because they will be saddled with debt. With a little bit of planning, consumers can save themselves a lot of stress and put themselves in a better financial position in 2017."Griffin is director of public education for Experian. He is responsible for Experian's national consumer education programs and supports the company's community involvement and corporate responsibility efforts. He speaks regularly at regional and national financial literacy events and supports various national consumer education initiatives, including the LifeSmarts Consumer Knowledge Competition, for which he serves on the Corporate Advisory Board, and the Jumpstart Coalition for Financial Literacy. For more than 15 years he has written Ask Experian, an online consumer credit advice column. He holds a B.S. in journalism from the University of Kansas, has a Fair Credit Reporting Act certification from the Consumer Data Industry Association and is a Center for Financial Certifications Certified Financial Counselor.Contact: Corynne Randel, corynne.randel@experianinteractive.com

Benefits CommunicationAmanda LannertCEOJellyvision"The world is bored and confused when it comes to 'anti-fun' topics like health insurance, benefits, financial wellness and debt management. To effectively communicate benefits programs to employees, we believe in injecting humor into the conversation. Humor helps people de-stress so they can make better, more informed decisions about their benefits."As CEO of Jellyvision, a rapidly growing employee communications technology startup, Lannert is an expert on a variety of topics, including open enrollment, human resources and benefits communications. She has grown Jellyvision from 30 to 300 employees in the last three years, due in part to her approach to corporate culture. Jellyvision boasts a number of culture perks, including unlimited vacation days, made up holidays like Mustache Day, a company band and an annual Work from Anywhere Week, which attracts individuals from all different walks of life to come work for the company. Lannert has been recognized on several occasions as leader for women in business and technology -- an industry that is deprived of diversity -- and for her commitment to mentoring other young women. She serves on advisory boards at 1871, Healthbox Industries, and The Starter League, where she also teaches.Website: www.jellyvision.comContact: Kaitlin Myers, kaitlin@propllr.com

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line.

SPEAKING ON A PANEL: BEST PRACTICES FROM THE PROS. Not all media panels are created equal, but they're an important avenue for audiences to connect with you, beyond reading your stories and following on social media. Consumers want to learn about your experience in the media industry. And, as niche topics have increased, so has the demand for print journalists, bloggers, YouTubers, and influencers to share their stories. Here are some tips on what to do before, during and after a panel presentation: http://bit.ly/2fgPBwk

CAREER CROSSROADS: BLOGHER CO-FOUNDER ON SHATTERING THAT ONLINE GLASS CEILING. Elisa Camahort Page, chief community officer of New York-based SheKnows Media and co-founder of BlogHer, shares her thoughts on the creation of BlogHer and shattering an online glass ceiling: http://bit.ly/2fxBqDd

10 TOP NEWS SITES THAT ROCK THEIR MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE. The number of music and entertainment news sites today is endless. For journalists, the beat has become extensive, ranging from festival and concert coverage to the cultural impact of music. While some traditional publications have moved away from having music-specific reporters, others will do whatever it takes to keep these niche editors. Here are our 10 favorites, in no specific order, that help their audiences get their music fix: http://bit.ly/2eFWHhM